Guns and Swords
by MarzBarz
Summary: BIG THANKS to RedPandaGirl for inspiring the title! This is a bit like Crash And Burn, but with different circumstances. Ban is a little OOC, sorry! Anyways, please read, review, and enjoy!
1. Poor Ginji

Couldn't think of a backstory for this, but the boys are on a retrieval and they split up to look for the item they get sent to retrieve. It just goes downhill from there. Might make a prologue later if I get the inspiration.

Ginji cried out as pain erupted in his shoulder. Staggering, he shot a bolt towards the guard who had just shot him, knocking the man out.

Gasping, Ginji leaned against the wall, gathering his power into one hand to create a magnetic force. Holding the magnet-hand up to the bullet wound, he gritted his teeth and used to magnetic force to pull the bullet out of his shoulder. Biting back a scream as the bullet dragged against the edges of the wound, he continued until the bullet was completely out, then let it fall to floor.

Sighing in relief, Ginji clumsily tore a portion of his shirt off with his good arm, wrapping it around the wound in a makeshift bandage. Shakily pushing himself off the wall, the blonde slowly continued his interrupted search. He had to keep looking; Ban was counting on him to do his part. Using the wall as an occasional support, Ginji slowly made his way down the hallway.

=GB=

Ban screeched to a stop in the midst of his search. Something was wrong; he could have sworn he had heard Ginji cry out. Ban had been getting a bad feeling about something for a while now, and he was starting to worry about his blonde partner. Making a snap decision, Ban turned and sprinted back the way he had came, moving towards his friend as fast as his legs would carry him.

=GB=

Ginji had continued to search, but he could feel himself weakening as time passed. His shirt was now barely worth calling a shirt; he had ripped it to shreds trying to keep a clean-ish bandage on his shoulder. The wound was refusing to stop bleeding, although the bleeding had slowed significantly in the past minute. The tired blonde focused on finding the item and finding Ban, forcing himself to keep going.

Ginji was so intent on his task that he almost ran himself onto the sword of another guard as he turned the corner, drawing back at the last second. The guard didn't give the GetBacker time to recover, lunging forward and slicing at the stumbling boy's neck. Ginji managed to get out of the way of a fatal wound, but the tip of the sword dragged across his collarbone and over the wound in his shoulder. Ginji cried out and fell to his knees clutching his shoulder, pain clouding his vision momentarily. Instinct told him to roll to the side, and the clang of a sword hitting the floor where he had been told him this was a wise move.

Ginji scrambled to his feet and faced his attacker, desperately looking for some way to escape. He was far too weak to fight back; he felt so drained that he wasn't sure he could even use his electricity to defend himself. _Ban where are you? I'm not sure I can do this _Ginji thought desperately.

As the swordsman attacked, Ginji's dodges gradually began to slow; shallow cuts began to criss-cross his torso. None of them were serious, but blood was beginning to cover the floor, making it slick and far more dangerous for the exhausted blonde.

As he dodged another slash, Ginji felt his feet slide out from under him; he looked up to see the sword arcing towards his side. He inhaled sharply as the blade bit into his side, then heard a voice behind him yelling "GINJI!" _You found me Ban-chan_ Ginji thought woozily. He grabbed the sword in his side and shot as many volts as he could through it, making sure the swordsman couldn't get to his friend. The swordsman dropped to the ground unconscious and Ginji removed the sword from his side. He tried to find his friend, but before he could turn around he felt himself falling as darkness closed in.


	2. Poor Ban

Ban sprinted down a hallway and suddenly heard Ginji's voice saying "Ban-chan where are you?" The brunette pushed himself to go even faster; now he was positive something was wrong and Ginji needed his help. He rounded a corner and froze; Ginji was falling to his knees in front of a swordsman, covered in blood. The swordsman was slicing towards Ginji's side. Ban's eyes widened as he saw the sword cut deep into his friend's side. "GINJI!" He yelled, dashing forwards to help his partner but stopping as the blonde reached up and took hold of the sword, shooting it full of volts.

Ban darted forward once more, catching his partner as Ginji began to fall to his side. "Ginji!" Ban said, worry filling his voice, "Ginji, come on, answer me!" He quickly tore off his four-tailed shirt and used it as a makeshift bandage on Ginji's side. When the blonde didn't respond, Ban gently picked him up and ran back to the Ladybug as fast as he could. He yanked the door open with his foot and gently placed his unconscious partner in the passenger seat, then darted to the driver's side and got in.

As Ban got the car started and began to drive away Ginji stirred and slowly opened his eyes. "Ban-chan…" he called out faintly, trying to find his partner. Ban's head whipped around at the sound of Ginji's voice, answering "I'm right here, Ginji. Just stay with me ok?" "Are you ok, Ban-chan?" Ginji asked weakly, stretching his hand towards his partner. Ban grabbed his partner's hand and replied "I'm fine, Ginji. You're the one bleeding all over the car." "Sorry," Ginji said tiredly, fighting dropping lids; Ban-chan had told him to stay awake, but he was so tired.

Ban sighed in exasperation and replied "I didn't mean it like that, Ginji. You don't have to be sorry." He glanced over at his partner; Ginji looked deathly pale, which worried Ban and scared him more than he would ever admit. He squeezed the blonde's hand tightly, trying to keep him awake. "Come on Ginji, you can't close your eyes!" Ginji thought he heard panic in Ban's voice, but he knew that was impossible; Ban never panicked. And Ginji was too tired to stay awake, even for Ban. Despite his best efforts, his eyes slowly drifted closed.

"Ginji?" Ban asked anxiously as he felt his friend's hand relax in his own. When he glanced at the passenger seat, Ban's heart nearly stopped. Ginji's eyes were closed, his face was ashen, and the bandages covering his side and shoulder were dyed a deep red. Ban swore under his breath and slammed his foot down on the gas pedal, pushing the Ladybug as fast as she could go.

When they got to the hospital, Ban had the car parked and Ginji out in a matter of seconds. The blonde was lighter, even without Ban's great strength, which scared Ban more than he wanted to admit. The panicking brunette ran into the lobby of the hospital with Ginji in his arms, yelling for someone to help. "Please, he's dying!" Ban yelled desperately, his voice breaking at the end. Doctors and nurses gently removed Ginji from Ban's arms, placing the unconscious blonde on a stretcher and wheeling him off to the ER. Ban distinctly heard a doctor muttering "This is going to be a close one. Judging by how pale he is and the amount of blood on the bandages, it's a miracle this kid is even alive still."

Ban's knees buckled and he collapsed into a chair. Ginji couldn't die, because without him there was no 'S' and no GetBackers, so he couldn't die, could he? Ban began to sob, holding his head in his hands, covered in the blood of his best friend.

After several hours, one of the doctors came out and asked if there was anyone there for Ginji Amano. Ban was out of his chair in a flash and right in front of the doctor, asking "Is he ok? He'll make it, right?" The doctor replied "He's still in critical condition, due mainly to the severe blood loss, but if he makes it through the next night or two he should be fine." Ban relaxed a little, content with the knowledge that his friend was still alive, at least for now, but worry continued to eat at him as he pressed the doctor for more information. "So you're not sure, you just think he'll make it?" "Nothing is certain until he wakes up," the doctor said calmly.

"Can I see him?" Ban asked the doctor, eyes pleading. "Are you family?" the doctor asked, following hospital protocol. "Yes," Ban replied instantly, thinking _He's more than my family he's my partner so you better let me fucking see him!_ The doctor eyed the brunette suspiciously, then shrugged and led Ban back to Ginji's room.

Ban stood in the doorway of Ginji's room, fighting desperately to keep his emotions under control as his eyes scanned the tubes sticking out of Ginji and keeping the unconscious blonde alive. Ban had seen some pretty horrific sights in his life, but nothing he had seen compared to this. He had seen Ginji get hurt before, had killed his partner in the illusion he wove through the Evil Eye, but he had always known that at the end of the day Ginji would be ok. This time was different; regardless of their bond, Ban had no idea what was going to happen to his partner.

Guilt washed over Ban as he slowly moved into the room, watching his best friend fight for life. Ban's eyes began to fill with unshed tears as he dragged a chair next to Ginji's bed and sat down. "I'm sorry Ginji, I shouldn't have left you on your own, I should have been there to help you. I'm sorry, so just wake up, ok? I don't care how long it takes, just wake up," Ban said softly, his voice breaking at several points. Running his hands through his partner's blonde spikes, Ban looked his partner over once more. Bandages covered all the visible parts of Ginji's torso, and stretched up to encase the shoulder that had been shot.

Ban couldn't hold his grief and worry in any longer; he rested his head in his arms on Ginji's mattress and sobbed, trying to curl in on himself as if that would protect him from the onslaught of his emotions. As his sobs quieted, the young brunette looked once more at his sleeping partner. Ginji looked like he was sleeping peacefully, but his wounds hadn't fully closed; blood was slowly seeping into the bandages. Ban glared at the small spots of red, willing the wounds to heal faster. Ban grasped Ginji's hand as if that action would anchor his partner to this world, somehow making him heal faster. Eventually the bleeding seemed to stop, and Ban gently squeezed Ginji's hand before finding a nurse to change the bandages. Once she was done, Ban took his seat next to Ginji's bed and settled in to wait for his partner to wake up.

A day passed and the only change in Ginji's condition was his face regaining a little bit of its color. Although it wasn't much, it was still improvement, and it lifted Ban's spirits a little. The brunette hadn't slept or eaten since he got to the hospital, so the staff took it upon themselves to shoo him out for a while, hoping he would rest and eat. The nurses told Ban they were going to change Ginji's bandages and check on how his wounds were healing, and told him he could come again in an hour and a half.

Ban went down to the cafeteria, got some food, and was back at Ginji's room in exactly 90 minutes. His heart broke a little when he was greeted by the sight of an unconscious Ginji, and Ban felt a lump beginning to form in his throat as he made his way to his chair. Ban grabbed Ginji's hand again as he sat down, saying "Come on Gin, I got food, but you gotta wake up or I'll eat it all." When Ginji didn't respond, Ban continued softly "Please, Ginji. You've slept long enough. Please wake up." The lump in his throat grew when Ginji remained asleep, and Ban gently ran his hand through his partner's blonde spikes before settling in to continue waiting for his best friend to wake up.


	3. Happy Ending!

Ginji was scared. He didn't know where he was; all he knew was that it was dark and he was alone. Ban was nowhere to be found. Ginji had been wandering aimlessly for a while, trying to find his partner. A dull throbbing in his shoulder and torso had developed over time, but Ginji ignored the ache in favor of finding Ban. "Ban-chan!" Ginji called, eyes anxiously scanning the darkness for any sign of his partner. "Ban-chan, where are you?"

Brown eyes lit up in happiness as they found a brunette with wildly spiked hair slowly turning his direction. "Ban-chan!" Ginji cried happily, running towards the figure. Ban turned his back on Ginji and walked away. "Ban0chan, wait!" Ginji called, confused. "Where are you going? Wait up, Ban-chan!" Ban didn't respond and just kept walking, leaving Ginji running to catch up. It looked like Ban was walking towards a bright light. Ginji increased his speed, but he never got any closer to his partner. "Ban-chan please wait!" Ginji cried frantically, trying to push himself even faster. "Ban-chan!"

"BAN-CHAN!" Ginji yelled, eyes flying open as he snapped into a sitting position. At least he thought he'd yelled it; what actually came out of his mouth was more like a hoarse rasp. There was also a sharp pain in his side and a dull throbbing in his shoulder. "Ow," Ginji said as he looked down at himself, eyes widening in surprise as he saw the bandages covering his torso. _What the heck happened to me?_ Ginji thought, trying to remember. He winced as the memory of his encounters with the mansion guards came back to him, then snapped to attention again.

_Where's Ban-chan?_ Ginji thought, looking around for his partner a little frantically. He relaxed when his eyes found Ban sitting next to the bed, head down, fast asleep. Ginji smiled fondly, then reached out with his good arm and gently shook his sleeping partner awake.

"Mmm - wha's goin' on?" Ban asked groggily as he opened his eyes to see Ginji beaming at him. "Ginji!" the brunette exclaimed, leaning closer to his partner's side as ill-concealed relief washed through him; he had missed that smile more than he thought possible. "How you feeling?" he asked, trying (unsuccessfully) to hide any last shreds of worry that Ginji could possibly find. "I feel pretty good, Ban-chan!" Ginji said with a grin, trying to reassure his friend. "MY shoulder and side don't hurt too much, and I'm a little stiff and I don't know why, but other than that I'm fine! Sorry I made you worry," he continued, grinning a little sheepishly.

"Nah, wasn't worried," Ban said, waving his hand as if he could wave the comment away and explaining "You're all stiff because you've been asleep for a couple days, and that's why your voice is all scratchy too." "Really, Ban-chan? I didn't think it had been that long!" Ginji exclaimed, shooting his partner a guilty look and saying "Sorry I was out so long." Ban brushed the comment off again, saying "It's not something you have to be sorry for, moron."

Ginji grinned again, then winced as his side twinged, protesting his upright position. Concern flashed in Ban's eyes as he asked "You ok? What's wrong?" Ginji gently grasped his side and smiled reassuringly at his friend, saying "I'm ok, side just hurts a little, that's all." Ban sighed in exasperation, thinking _Pain does not mean ok you idiot!_ to himself, knowing that Ginji wouldn't listen to him if he said it out loud. Instead he gently pushed Ginji back down on the hospital bed and said "That probably means you shouldn't be sitting up, doofus."

Ginji complied with his partner's wishes, snuggling down into the sheets and turning his head so he was still facing Ban. The brunette scooted his chair closer to the bed and reached out to run his hands through Ginji's hair again. Ginji relaxed under the calming motion of Ban's hand against his scalp and yawned widely, brown eyes sliding shut. Ban smiled fondly at his friend, running his hands through blonde spikes for a few minutes more before taking his hand away. Ginji grumbled something unintelligible in his sleep and reached a hand toward where Ban was sitting. Ban sighed, but grabbed the searching hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. Ginji calmed immediately, relaxing into a deep sleep. Ban let a small smile drift to his lips as he watched his friend, then leaned down and kissed Ginji's forehead lightly. The sleepless nights caught up with him once again, and he rested his head on the mattress next to Ginji, still holding his partner's hand. Soon he was fast asleep, a content smile on his face.

Owaru!

Author's Note-SORRY!!! I didn't mean for it to take this long but then my schoolwork exploded! So here it is, the ending of the story. Big thanks to ajj27sunhawk for pointing out my overly emotional Ban in chapter 2; I tried to reign it in, and the stuff I've written but have yet to type has a much more in-character Ban-chan. Curse you Lent for making me so much less familiar with the characters! Also big thanks to RedPandaGirl for giving me inspiration on the title! And thanks to both of you for actually reviewing the story =). Other readers…REVIEW PLEASE!


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